Pay MPs more and the freebies will end: or something
As political scandals go, grabbing freebie concert and footy tickets, glasses and clothes is not at the vanguard of corruption. It's not even illegal. But it's a start.
People in glass houses might not want to mention Owen Paterson; or PPE if only for legal reasons. However, Kier Starmer’s opponents have a gift. Ironically.
It reinforces the indisputable fact, as agreed by lazy thinkers everywhere, that politicians are "all the same" and that they in their entirety should be jailed.
The 2009 Expenses Scandal, involving public rather than donors' money, still leaves a philosophical quandary, ie. which was greedier; claiming for a clearly unnecessary second home, or for a Mars Bar?
And freeloading it isn't necessarily a simple choice. Gratis tickets for Taylor Swift are one thing. But what if, say, a Sunderland MP is invited to see Wicked at the Empire Theatre (it's great by the way)?
Attend and be labelled a freeloader? Or decline and be accused of failing to support a local enterprise?
A pervading opinion is that the PM and all MPs should be paid more, to eradicate this silliness and attract a "better calibre" of parliamentarian.
This dubiously supposes that anyone on a large salary is automatically brilliant at their job, that standards in public office will appreciably rise if MPs are only persuaded into the job by cash; and it takes all of 10 seconds to disprove that well-remunerated people are immune from corruption.
Yes, the PM earns a fraction of what a pop star/ footballer/ Bernie Clifton and his ostrich does. So what?
Prime ministers earn £172,153, have two grace-and-favour mansions and earn millions upon leaving office (even Liz Truss is entitled to £115,000 a year; from us). Even more dough is not the solution.
MPs earn a basic £91,346; about three times the UK average. They are also, bewilderingly, entitled to £25 per-day for food without receipts.
We’re not sure how to end the freeloadery, but lobbing more cash their way is highly unlikely to do the trick, such is the detumescence of an MP's bank account.
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